Fastener with shearable fixing member

ABSTRACT

A RING TONGUE TERMINAL IS INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH A STAMPED SCREW JOINED TO A RING BY A CARRIER STRIP ARRANGED SO THAT ON BENDING OF THE STRIP THE SCREW CAN BE POSITIONED THROUGH THE RING APERTURE AND ON TIGHTENING OF THE SCREW THE CARRIER STRIP SHEARS.

United States Patent Inventors Colin David Kindell Bushey; Terence Robert Raynor, Chingtord, London, Enghnd Appl. No. 811,041 Filed Mar. 27, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 Assignee AMP Incorporated Harrkburg, Pa. Priority Mar. 29, 1968 Great Britain FASTENER WITH SHEARABLE FIXING MEMBER 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 339/263, 24/73, 85/50, 151/69 Int. Cl. ..Fl6b 43/00, Holt 1 H26 Field of Search 339/251,

263 (BL), 264, 231, 232, 272 (B); 24/73 (BMF), (HSMF), (inquired); 85/9, 41, 50, 72, (lnquired); 151/69, 7

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 52,617 2/1866 Splitdorf 339/263(B)X 1,102,871 7/1914 Carroll (85/50UX) 1,268,457 6/1918 Haynes et a1. ..(339/263LUX) 1,748,564 2/1930 Anderson 339/251 1,932,010 10/1933 Becker 339/263(L) 2,384,21 1 9/1945 Sutherland 339/232 2,398,433 4/1946 Macy 339/263X 2,513,105 6/1950 Poupitch (24/73BMFUX) 3,102,571 9/1963 Scott 151/7 3,253,247 5/1966 Vos 339/263X Primary Examiner-Ian A. Calvert Auorneys Curtis, Morris and Safford, Marshall M.

l-lolcombe, William Hintze, William J. Keating, Frederick W Raring, John R. Hopkins, Adrian J. La Rue and .lay L. Seitchik ABSTRACT: A ring tongue terminal is integrally formed with a stamped screw joined to a ring by a carrier strip arranged so that on bending of the strip the screw can be positioned through the ring aperture and on tightening of the screw the carrier strip shears.

Patented June 28, 1971 Inventor Colln David Kindell Terence Robert Rayner fiJw i )Allorney FASTENER WI'III SIIEARABLE FIXING MEMBER This invention relates to fasteners.

It is known for a fastener in the fonn of a ring tongue terminal connector to include a contact part comprising an apertured plate and a terminal part for connection to a conductor wire. In use, the apertured plate is positioned onto a post terminal and fastened by a nut engaging threads on the post terminal.

It is further known for the apertured plate to be provided with a captive screw for engagement with a threaded hole in a panel to which the ring tongue terminal is to be fastened. The captive screw is manufactured separately from the terminal and then secured to the terminal for example by a forming operation on the terminal.

According to the present invention, a fastener formed from sheet metal for securing to a panel at an aperture in the panel comprises an apertured plate integrally formed with a fixing member for penetrating the plate aperture and engaging the panel aperture, the fixing member being secured to the plate by a flexible strip bendable so that the fixing member can be registered with the plate aperture.

Preferably, the fixing member is an externally threaded tubular screw, for example the tube may be rolled up as an open seamed tube. The flexible strip may be weakened at at least one location along its length for facilitating the separation of the fixing member from the plate. Suitably, the fastener is integrally formed with a carrier strip joining a series of fasteners together. The apertured plate may be formed with a ferrule for connection to a conductor wire.

An object of the invention is to provide a fastener having a unitary fastening means for fastening the fastener onto a mounting member.

Another object is the provision of a fastener wherein the unitary fastening means is adapted to be bent into position for fastening the fastener in position on the mounting member.

A further object is to provide a fastener wherein the unitary fastening means is positioned so as to fasten the fastener on the mounting member.

An additional object is the provision of a fastener wherein the unitary fastening means is shearable from the main plate of the fastener during securing of the fastening means in the mounting member.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

The invention will now be described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying partly diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fastener in the form of a ring tongue electrical connector forming part of a strip of electrical connectors;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a loose piece ring tongue electrical connector with the flexible strip bent to allow the threaded shank of the screw to enter an aperture in the contact part of the connector;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a further fastener in the form of an electrical connector; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the electrical connector of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. I, a fastener in the form of a ring tongue terminal connector 1 forms part of a strip of connectors joined by a carrier strip 10. Each connector 1 comprises a flat substantially circular plate 2 having a circular hole or aperture 3 located in the center of the plate. At one side of the plate 2, a transition part 4 leads from plate 2 to an open-barrelferruleS. enetrating,a pasiieiiiererime 'S'Qa flexible strip 6 is provided, integral with plate 2, which strip 6 secures a fixing member or tubular screw 7 to the plate 2.

The screw 7 comprises'a head 8 and a threaded shank 9. The strip 6 is connected at one end to the edge of the head 8 and at the opposite end to the edge of the plate 2. The head 8 is provided with a slot 12 to provide means for turning the screw.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible strip 6 can be bent to allow the threaded shank 9 of screw 7 to pass through the aperture 3 to engage, for example, in a threaded hole (not shown) in a surface of a panel (not shown). The head 8 will then hold the plate 2 against said surface. Also, the outer end of the screw 7 is tapered for ease of entry of the screw through aperture 3 and into a threaded hole of a panel.

The loose piece electrical connector 1a shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 but has a closed-barrel ferrule 5a. Notches 11 are formed on the strip 6 adjacent its ends to weaken the strip 6 to facilitate the separation of the screw 7 from the plate 2.

In use, the connector 1, 1a is laid with aperture 3 surrounding a threaded hole in a panel to which the connector is to be attached. The strip 6 is bent until the threaded shank 9 passes through aperture 3 into the threaded hole. The slot 12 in the head 8 is then engaged by a driver blade to turn the screw 7. Tension in the strip 6 causes it to break at one of its weakened points 11 thereby allowing the screw 7 to be screwed down, the head 8 securing the plate 2 against the surface.

The electrical connectors 1, 1a illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 4 may be formed by press dies operating on a sheet metal blank to form a ring tongue having an integral crimping ferrule for connection to a conductor wire. The screw may be extruded as a closed wall tube from the sheet metal with threads die formed on the outer surface of the tube. Alternatively, the screw may be rolled up from the sheet to define a seamed tubular screw having die formed threads on its outer surface formed before the blank is rolled into the tubular form.

The aperture in the plate can be a through slot and the plate can be rectangular, flag shaped or any shape convenient for attachment to an electrical conductor.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

We claim:

1. A one-piece fastener formed from sheet metal for securing at an aperture in a panel, the fastener comprising an apertured plate, a flexible strip integral with the apertured plate, a fixing member for penetrating the plate aperture and engaging the panel aperture integral with the flexible strip remote from the apertured plate, the flexible strip being bendable so that the fixing member can be registered with the plate aperture and weakened at least at one location along its length for facilitating the separation of the fixing member from the plate by fracture of the flexible strip on reception in the panel aperture.

2. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, in which the fixing member is an externally-threaded tubular screw, rotation of the screw in the panel aperture facilitating fracture of the flexible strip.

3,. An electrical connector formed of electrically conductive material, comprising a contact section having an aperture therethrough, a ferrule section extending outwardly from said contact section for connection with an electrical conductor, a bendable strip extending outwardly from said contact section, and a fixing member at an outer end of said bendable strip and adapted to be registered with said aperture when said bendable strip is bent to secure said connector onto a mounting member, said bendable strip being weakened at least at one location along its length for facilitating the separation of the fixing member from the contact section by fracture of the bendable strip on reception in the panel aperture.

4. An electrical connector according t o claim whereih said fixing member is an externally threaded tubular screw, rotation of the screw in the panel aperture facilitating fracture of the bendable strip. 

